Swearing-in of Conrad Sangma-led Meghalaya govt at 10:30 am on Tuesday

NPP president Conrad Sangma on Monday said he has been invited by Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad to form the government in the state.

The swearing-in of the ministers would take place at 10.30 am tomorrow, he said.

"The governor has invited me to form the government as I have the numbers," Sangma said.

Confirming this, a Raj Bhavan official said, "The governor has extended invitation to Conrad Sangma to form the government as he has the support of 34 MLAs."

BJP sources said party chief Amit Shah and Union minister Rajnath Singh would be present in the swearing-in programme.

Sangma met Ganga Prasad last evening and staked claim to form the government with the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member assembly.

After the meeting, he had said, "We met the governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs -- 19 of the NPP, six of the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People's Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent."

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate on Saturday with the Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the National Peoples Party (NPP), an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

The Congress, which has been in power in the state for the last 10 years, won 21 seats out the 59 that went to polls on February 27. The figure is 10 short of a simple majority.

The party had staked claim to form the government in the state at a meeting with the governor, officials and party leaders said.

A delegation of three central leaders of the Congress -- Kamal Nath, Ahmed Patel and C P Joshi had met the governor on Saturday.

Conrad Sangma (40) is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma, who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from the Tura constituency after his fathers death.

Sangma also met Regional Democratic Alliance chairman Donkupar Roy at his residence.